Mai Tokiha (HiME anime)
Mai is the protagonist of the Mai-HiME anime series. She is portrayed as a self-reliant person, hesitant to tell others about her problems. She is a first-year high school student, and her roommate is Mikoto Minagi. Her stated hobbies are working part-time jobs and taking care of Takumi.My-HiME anime, episode 19 Characteristics Mai is depicted with short red hair and a rather large bust. She is typically cast as a sisterly friend of Mikoto, the guardian of her brother Takumi Tokiha, a close friend to Natsuki Kuga but usually at odds with her, and a potential love interest of Yuuichi Tate and Reito Kanzaki. She is associated with fire, and in all series wields 4 large golden rings with magatama as weapons. She also uses a mitsu tomoe as her symbol. Synopsis A Girl's Most Important Event Mai and Takumi are traveling on a ship heading toward their new school Fuka Academy. Mai notices a glowing red star and when her borther states that he cannot see it she teases him saying that is something only honest pepole can see. Just then Takumi notices something in the water. When the girl that has just been rescued is in need of CPR it is Mai who performs the resuscitation. Having gotten wet from the incident Mai is thanked by a guy whom she notices is staring at her breast Mai immediately snaps at him and takes off. While attemting to change she notices her brother has forgotten his medicine and takes it with her. Noticing a mark on her right breast she questions how the girl she just savd has the same mark and remembers that in the processes of given her CPR she has just had her first kiss. While looking for a change of clothes whe remembers that all her lugage has been put in storage and the only thing left to wear is her school uniform. She reunities with her brother and meets Tate Yuuichi as well as his self-proclaim sister Shiho Munakata who are student s at the school she'll be going. Just then Mai and Tate are invited to meet the captain of the ship. On their way there they argue about Tate's sexual harrasment. As the boats rocks the two fall and are attacked by a mysterious woman wearing a motocycle helmet. Mai is forced to take her to where the rescued girl is but when they arrive in the room a fight breaks out. Mai is forced to run and hide as the two other girls fight. As Mai leaves the area she runs into Yuichi who she takes her frustation on the sitaution on and remebers that she forgot the medicine for her brother when she changed clothes. Mai and Tate return to find the medicine and suddenly find them selves separated by the ship splitting in half, Mai tells Tate to take the medicine to her brother and she proceddes to escape. By climbing an escape hatch Mai reaches the deck of the ship only to find the two girls fighting again as she is attacked a mysterious fire sheiled is created and Mai protects herself. Mai is told by the attacker to stay away from the Fuka Academy. As the ship begins to sink Mai and the rescued girl beging to fall in the ocean. When Mai wakes up she sees herself on dry land surronded by a group of students wearing the same uniform as her. Frustated by the recent events Mai screams. After-School Secrets? Mai was being interrogated by a student council's excutive committe leader Haruka Suzushiro for waking up in the courtyard and for bringing a weapon to school. The vice-president of the student council Reito Kanzaki offers both Mai and Haruka a cup of tea while the rest of the school council listens to the questioning. Just then Tate brings in Takumi who is happy to see her the two are dismissed by the council president Shizuru Fujino. Mai and her brother are escorted by Tate who explains to her that the school is run by the students, Mai makes fun of Tate calling him a "Lackie" for the council. Mai and Tate argue as they arrive at the staff room. Mai introduces her self to her new class where she finds that Tate is in. Mai along with Aoi Senou and Chie Harada go to the school cafeteria, where they meet Takumi. In episode 1, Mai and her brother Takumi take a ferry to their new school, Fuka Academy. On the trip, Mai meets Yuichi Tate, with whom she begins a love-hate relationship. Mai resuscitates a girl who was found in the river, Mikoto Minagi. Mikoto and a mysterious attacker (later shown to be Natsuki Kuga) battle on the ferry, revealing magical powers; during this battle, Mai finds out she has powers similar to the two. Mai meets and befriends many other students, including Mikoto and Natsuki, in episodes 2 and 3. Being informed by Nagi Homura that her brother is in a nearby forest, she finds him under attack by an Orphan. Mai materializes her Elements for the first time and also acquires her Child, Kagutsuchi, which she uses to defeat the Orphan. In the following episodes, Mai continues to fight Orphans along with Mikoto and Natsuki, becoming especially close to Mikoto. Mai picks up a part-time job at the Lindem Baum restaurant, where she works with her future teacher Midori Sugiura. She begins a romantic relationship with Reito Kanzaki, whom she reveals her HiME powers to in episode 8. In episodes 14 and 15 Mai joins with the other known HiME in freeing Fuka Academy from Searrs' control. Mai and Kagutsuchi block Alyssa Searrs' attack and defeat her Child. Beginning with episode 17, Mai becomes more unsure of her desires; she cannot decide between Yuichi and Reito, and she feels abandoned when Takumi starts to be more independent. Mai attempts to stop the fighting between HiME and instructs Mikoto not to fight. She later becomes enraged at Mikoto when in episode 20 it appears the latter is responsible for the death/disappearance of Takumi, although Mai herself feels responsible as well. Mai becomes increasing attracted to Yuichi, leading up to episode 24 when Yuichi saves her from defeat at Yukariko Sanada's hands. A phantom HiME who had been attacking Mai in previous episodes reveals herself to be Shiho Munakata, Yuichi's childhood friend and Mai's romantic rival. Shiho's defeat by Mikoto leads to the death of Yuichi, driving Mai into despair. In episode 25 she resolves to stop the Obsidian Prince, who is behind the carnival. Nagi leads her to the Obsidian Palace where the Obsidian Prince (in Reito's body) and Mikoto are waiting. In her battle with Mikoto in episode 26, she declares her love for Mikoto, breaking the Obsidian Prince's control over her. Mai later defeats the Obsidian Prince with Kagutsuchi, returning school life to normal. Element and Child In the anime, Mai's elements are a set of 4 golden rings around her arms and legs. The rings allow her to use fiery attacks and levitate. Mai also is capable of creating a barrier around herself to block attacks. Mai's HiME mark is located on her right breast,My-HiME anime, episode 1 which is said to be controlled by Cancer, her Zodiac sign. Her Child is Kagutsuchi, a dragonlike creature capable of spitting destructive fiery balls. It also is capable of melee fighting, and has a jet mode which allows it to travel at high speeds.My-HiME anime, episode 15 The sword in its head, the Sword of Sealing, made by the Obsidian Prince, acts as a seal on its powers, allowing the Obsidian Prince to surpress it when needed. During the final battle, the HiME's attack on the HiME star weakens the Obsidian Prince and destroys the sword, loosening the control and allows Mai to kill Obsidian Prince. It is also able resurrect itself and reborn from its flames and feathers should it die in battle, and if needed it can resurrect its HIME as well, thus granting it and the HIME a sort of immortality. In the manga, she starts of with her trademark rings but is already fairly skilled at fighting. Her Key is Yuuichi Tate, and her Child is Kagutsuchi. When she becomes a QUEEN, she becomes more powerful and is able to summon a darker Kagutsuchi without the use of a Key. She gains two larger rings floating behind her back, in addition to her standard 4 rings.My-HiME manga, chapter 39, page 19 In the final battle, Kagutsuchi draws itself into the sword stuck in its head, creating the Sword of Kagutsuchi which Mai, Yuuichi and Natsuki wield. Name origins Mai is the titular lead of My-HiME. The series' title can be interpreted as "My Princess", "Princess Mai", "Dancing Princess", or simply as "HiME Mai". The different meanings of My-HiME are used throughout the various series. Kagutsuchi is named after Kagu-tsuchi, the Japanese god of fire. Its story of burning up its mother relates to Mai's story in the My-HiME anime, and the sword in its head is a reference to Kagu-tsuchi's beheading. Trivia * Coincidentally, Mai's Japanese voice actress, Mai Nakahara, shares the same first name * There is a running gag where Mikoto buries her face in Mai's chest and sometimes being over-protective of her to the point that she is carried by Mai in a piggy-back-ride way for the whole day * Mai is a good cook * Mai is the only HIME whose CHILD is likely unable to be killed, as shown in episode 15, due to Kagutsuchi's ability to be resurrected and reborn when killed. References Tokiha Tokiha